Necticut



(No Model.) 2 SheetSSheet 1. J. HOPSON, Jr. 85 W. T. HOPSON.

BOILER.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets'--Sheet 2.

J. HOPSON, Jr. 82 W. T. HOPSON.

BOILER.

Patented Dec. 25, 1888.

NV PETERS, Fhuloumugmuher. Wzshingmn. ac

JOHN HOPSON, JR, AND ILLIAM T. HOPSON, OF NEYV LONDON, CON- NECTIOUT.

BQILER.

SPECIFICATION. forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,142, datedDecember 25, 1888.

Application filed September 29, 1888. $erial No. 286,740. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN HOPsON, J1'., and WILLIAM T. l'IOPsON, of NewLondon, county of New London, and State of Connecticut, have jointlyinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Boilers, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, ref erence being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

()ur invention relates to boilers oi the class employed for heatingwater for domestic and other heating or radiating systems, andespecially to that variety of such boilers called sectional boilers,from the fact that they embody a number of similar sections or partsunited one with the other.

The objects of our invention are to simplify and improve theconstruction of these sec tional boilers so that the sections or partsmay be easily, quickly, and cheaply mounted and supported in such manneras to obviate injurious effects of expansions and contractions; toprovide the lower header with a projecting horizontal branch which maybe located at any desired point, and with which directconnection may bemade without employment of unnecessary bends or angles; to providesimple and efficient means for 0011- necting the short sections and forsecuring the joints bet-ween the sections; to supply a cover or dome anda base-seetion with covered apertures, affording convenient and easyaccess to the fines for cleaning without requiring the casing to bedisturbed, and to secure other advantages in the matters of constructionand operation, as will hereinafter appear. To accomplish all of this ourimprovements involve certain n ew and useful arrangements orcombinations of parts and peculiarities of construct-ion, which will beherein first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a sectional elevation of a portable boiler constructed and arrangedfor operation in accordance with our invention and embodying ourimprovements. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on a plane through line 90a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, enlarged beyondprevious figures, showing two of the sectional parts in place. Fig. atisa vertical sectional view of one of the long sectional parts of theboiler. Fig. 5 is a front elevation showing the exterior casin g and thelocation of the flue-cleaning doors or apertures in the top or dome.Fig. (3 is a horizontal sectional view, enlarged beyond previousfigures, showing the means of uniting the short sections with thoseadjacent to them.

In all the figures like letters of. reference, wherever they occur,indicate corrcspom'ling parts.

A A are the overhanging portions of the sectional parts which containthe water to be heated, and B B are the legs thereof. These sectionalparts are arranged in circular plan and are supported by the casing. Thelegs form the walls of the fire-box, the upper parts of the sectionsoverhanging the fire. flues being left between the upper parts for theupward escape of products of combustion. The legs are connected with alower header, D, as by nipples a a, and the sections are connected attop with an upper header, E, by nipples, as

Heretofore in boilers made up of sections of substantially the shapeherein illustrated the inlet or return for water to the lower header wastapped in at the bottom thereof and carried through the casing throughholes which had to be formed to suit the position of the tap,necessitating much difficult labor and forming a bend or trap in theinlet-pipe, which seriously interfered with the desired free and perfectcirculation of water through the boiler and the heating system inconnection with which it was used. To obviate all of this I cast theheader with a horizontal flanged neck or branch, F, which projects fromthe vertical wall of the header and through the casing. The header beingcircular, this flanged neck may be turned toward any desired point mostconvenient for leading the inlet or return, and the latter connectedwith the header by a simple joint without bend or trap. This not onlymakes the fitting or mounting easier and cheaper, but is of advantage inthe matter of circulation, as will be readily seen. The lower header ismade to sustain the sections,

and for this reason the nipples a a are made heavy, preferably of whatis called double thick metal.

The ash-pit section or foundation G is of cast metal having aledge, asat g, calculated to receive the header D, which is simply placed uponthe ledge and the sectional parts of the boiler afterward applied. Thisobviates the necessity of blocking up the sectional parts and afterwardsecuring the header to them, as has heretofore been required in allportable boilers of this class.

The casting G is made in parts divided as along the line g, so that thestraight neck F of header D may be located at any desired point withoutrequiring an especial. opening to be cut for it, as in the previousconstructions above alluded to.

H is the outlet, which is connected with the upper header, and whichleads to the heating or radiating system.

The sections being supported in the manner explained, they may beeasily. connected up by turning the nipples to place, and these areeasily reached above and below the extremities of the sections withoutinterference by other parts.

H H are the bars constituting the grate. These are mounted in a ring, I,which is secured to the lower ends of the sections, or otherwise, as maybe desired. Under this arrangement and manner of mounting any expansionor contraction of the ring or the sections, or both, cannot effect theunions between the lower header and the sections, by which leakage mightotherwise be caused.

K is the fire-door, which has a frame leading into the fire-chamberabove the grate. The sections above and below this frame are necessarilyshortened or cut off to permit it to pass. Those above the door areconnected with the upper header, and those below it with the lowerheader. To connect these shortened sections with the long sections nextadjacent, so that the circulation through them may be perfect, same asin the complete sections, we provide hollow cast boxes, as at L, (bestshown in Fig. 6,) and one of these is used for making each connection.(Shown in Fig. 2.) The metal of the sections is thickened, as atl Z, sothat the perforations therethrough may be threaded and afford a secureseat for hollow nipples, as Z Z, which are inserted from the exterior ofbox L. J am-nuts, as Z Z upon the nipples may be packed in any suitablemanner and turned to their seats against the walls of the sections andagainst the inner face of box L, the box L being separated from thesections by a distance sufficient to permit the use of a wrench. Afterthe nipples Z are adjusted, the perforations through the exterior of boxL are closed, as by screw-plugs Z The lower ends of the upper shortsections and the upper ends of the lower short sections are connected inthe same manner, and being thus connected circulation may take placethrough each short section from bottom to top, as will be readilyunderstood.

Above the ash-pit section G of the casing is the intermediate section,N. These sections are made of cast-iron, and upon the intermediatesection is mounted the casing O, of sheet metal, usually double walled,as shown, to prevent radiation. The space between these walls maybefilled with any nonconducting material, if desired.

Upon the casing is mounted a dome-shaped plate, P, extending from aboutthe level of the tops of the sections over and upon the edge of theupper header. This plate P covcrs the return-flue which surrounds theboiler, and in it are several apertures closed by doors or removableplates Q, called flue-cleaning doors. The openings are so situated as toafford free access to the returnfiue for cleaning, and also free accessto the space between the upper header and the tops of theboilersections, which also needs to be cleaned of accumulations from thefire.

The intermediate section of the casing, or the part around the lower endof the fire-box, also supplied with apertures covered with doors orremovable plates R, affording access to the lower part of thereturn-flue, and also to the space between the lower header and thebottoms of the section-legs. \Vith these provisions all the parts of theboiler may be easily cleaned without disturbii'lg the casing or outerwall. To close the vertical joints between the sections, so as toprevent escape of heating products before passing out at the top,separate plates have heretofore been employed with various devices forlocking them in place.

\Ve dispense with the plates entirely and provide the edges of eachsection with narrow channels or grooves, as c c, which may be cast inthe sections and without any additional expense. lVhcn setting up thesecti on s, a little cement applied between the vertical joints willfind lodgment in these grooves and will be held therein without dangerof displacement; but in case the cement be not applied soot and ashesfrom the fire will lodge in the grooves and very soon close the jointsquite as effectually as any other cement.

S is the direct-draft damper, by closing which the smoke, &c., iscompelled to descend all around the boiler before it can find an exitfrom. the bottom of the return-flue.

T is a haflie-plate having perforations (Z (1, so disposed as to preventthe products of coinbustion from passing to the smoke-stack over theshortest lines.

U is a fuel'magazinc.

The return-fl ue, as will be observed, extends only down to the ash-pitsection, the flue be ing thus made short enough so that the draft willnot be unnecessarily impeded, while yet the flue is made to completelysurround the boiler-sections. This arrangement also obviates thenecessity of carrying the conneo tion with the lower header through thereturn flue.

The intermediate cast section, N, extends up high enough to take in thefire-door and the union with the uptake, so that there is no necessityof perforating the sheet-metal portion of the casing, the latter beingthen made up of plain sheets easy and cheap to apply.

The boiler thus constructed and mounted is simple, convenient, andefficient, and admirably answers the purposes and objects of ourimprovements, previously set forth;

Having now fully described our invention, what we claim as new herein,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a boiler ot the character herein set forth, the combination of theoverhanging boiler-sections forming the fire-chamber, the lower header,and the base-section of the easing, the said lower header being providedwith a horizontal flanged neck projecting through said base-section forconnecting with the inlet or return pipe and resting upon a horizontalledge in the base-section oi the ca s-- ing, the overhangingboiler-sections being supported by and above the header andcommunicating therewith through the threaded. nipples, substantially asshown and described.

In a boiler of the character herein set forth, the combination of theoverhanging sections, the upper header supported by and above saidsections and communicating therewith through the threaded nipples, thelower header provided with the horizontal flanged projecting neck andresting upon a horizontal ledge in the base seetion of the casin g, andthe threaded nipples connecting the lower header with the legs of theboiler-sections and sustaining them above and upon said header,substantially as shown and described.

3. In a boiler of the character herein set forth, the combination, withthe shortened sections connected with the top and. bottom headers, ofthe hollow blocks and nipples for joining said shortened sections withthe long sections, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a boiler made up of a number of similar sections connected with aheader at the top by nipples sustaining said header upon and above theboiler-sections and provided with a casing separated from said boiler toform a return-flue, the combination, with the casing and said header, ofa dome having covered cleaning apertures located and arranged thereinover the space between the sections and casing and opposite the spacebetween the sections and upper header, substantially as and for thepurposes explained.

57 In a boiler of the character herein set forth, the oi'erhangingsections forming the wall of the fire-box, provided on their adjacentvertical t'aces with the grooves or channels for lodgment of cement,&c., to close the joints between the sections, substantially as shownand described.

6. In a boiler ot' the character herein set forth, the base or ash-pitsection provided

